David Gunnell1, Sarah Caul2, Louis Appleby3, Ann John4, Keith Hawton5. 1. Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, 39 Whatley Road, Bristol, BS8 2PS, United Kingdom; National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom. Electronic address: d.j.gunnell@bristol.ac.uk. 2. Office for National Statistics, Newport, Wales, NP10 8XG, United Kingdom. 3. Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom. 4. Population Psychiatry, Suicide and Informatics, Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom. 5. Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Centre for Suicide Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, United Kingdom; Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There are growing concerns about the mental health and risk of suicide amongst university students. AIM: To investigate trends in the incidence and characteristics of university student suicides in England & Wales for the academic years 2000/01 to 2016/17. METHOD: Record linkage between Office for National Statistics mortality data and Higher Education Statistics Agency data for England and Wales. Poisson regression and chi-squared tests were used to investigate secular trends and the characteristics of students dying by suicide. RESULTS: There were 1330 student suicide deaths from 2000/01 to 2016/17; the annual incidence in 2015/16-2016/17 was 4.7 per 100,000 students. There was evidence of a rise in incidence since 2009/10 (incidence rate ratio per year 1.04 ((95%CI 1.00-1.07) p = 0.029). Incidence in 2012/13 to 2016/17 was less than half the rate in the general population of a similar age. Incidence was higher in males than females and amongst undergraduates vs. postgraduates. There was some evidence of a reduced risk amongst black compared to white students (RR 0.53 (95%CI 0.32-0.88). Incidence was highest in January and lowest during the summer holidays (July-September). LIMITATIONS: There was no age/sex or sociodemographic breakdown of the overall student population for 2000/01 to 2011/12. CONCLUSION: Rates of suicide are considerably lower amongst students than the general population. In keeping with trends in young people in the wider population, the incidence of student suicide has increased since 2009/10. To inform prevention, research is needed to understand reasons for the rise in suicide in young people.
BACKGROUND: There are growing concerns about the mental health and risk of suicide amongst university students. AIM: To investigate trends in the incidence and characteristics of university student suicides in England & Wales for the academic years 2000/01 to 2016/17. METHOD: Record linkage between Office for National Statistics mortality data and Higher Education Statistics Agency data for England and Wales. Poisson regression and chi-squared tests were used to investigate secular trends and the characteristics of students dying by suicide. RESULTS: There were 1330 student suicide deaths from 2000/01 to 2016/17; the annual incidence in 2015/16-2016/17 was 4.7 per 100,000 students. There was evidence of a rise in incidence since 2009/10 (incidence rate ratio per year 1.04 ((95%CI 1.00-1.07) p = 0.029). Incidence in 2012/13 to 2016/17 was less than half the rate in the general population of a similar age. Incidence was higher in males than females and amongst undergraduates vs. postgraduates. There was some evidence of a reduced risk amongst black compared to white students (RR 0.53 (95%CI 0.32-0.88). Incidence was highest in January and lowest during the summer holidays (July-September). LIMITATIONS: There was no age/sex or sociodemographic breakdown of the overall student population for 2000/01 to 2011/12. CONCLUSION: Rates of suicide are considerably lower amongst students than the general population. In keeping with trends in young people in the wider population, the incidence of student suicide has increased since 2009/10. To inform prevention, research is needed to understand reasons for the rise in suicide in young people.
Authors: A Duffy; C Keown-Stoneman; S Goodday; J Horrocks; M Lowe; N King; W Pickett; S H McNevin; S Cunningham; D Rivera; L Bisdounis; C R Bowie; K Harkness; K E A Saunders Journal: BJPsych Open Date: 2020-05-08
Authors: Simon Royal; Stuart Keeling; Nick Kelsall; Larry Price; Richard Fordham; Georgios Xydopoulos; Gerard R Dawson; Jonathan Kingslake; Richard Morriss Journal: BMC Prim Care Date: 2022-04-29